


HAUNT YOUR DEMONS -- RICK AND MORTY

by PORTALBEAST



Category: Rick and Morty
Genre: Angst, Drama, Jerry Smith - Freeform, Mental facility, Rick and Morty - Freeform, Suicide, Teen Angst, Teen Fiction, beth smith - Freeform, highschool, morty smith - Freeform, rick sanchez - Freeform, suicide prevention, summer smith - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-24
Updated: 2018-10-23
Packaged: 2019-08-06 17:20:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16391948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PORTALBEAST/pseuds/PORTALBEAST
Summary: "I-I-I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ANYMORE, RICK.""HAUNT YOUR DEMONS, MORTY. MAKE THEM WISH THEY NEVER LAID A FINGER ON YOUR UNBALANCED HEAD."-- in which beth, summer, and morty are damned, jerry's the odd one out, and rick is the treasure chest of emotions that nobody thought to search for.| 9.16.18 - ongoing |





	1. THURSDAY MORNING

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! just saying those book has a lot of intense themes so be warned !

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> background music : burgundy whip - instrumental , MED
> 
> trigger warning(s) :  
> \- none !
> 
> i hope you enjoy!
> 
> —

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> S.M.B.J.R. : THE SMITHS
> 
> EPILOGUE POEM
> 
> Why did my subscription to you have to be canceled?  
>  I never hung out with you anyways,  
>  but I didn't mind still paying for you once a month  
>  I didn't mind asking you how you were once a month  
>  I didn't mind hanging out once a year  
>  I'm lying, I'm compulsive, I'm clear
> 
> I wont pretend like this isn't the end  
>  I won't pretend like you were my only friend  
>  I guess it was just scary to find out that you are dead now  
>  I'm tossing, I'm fine, I'm turning  
>  I didn't know somebody with such a big mind could die  
>  but I will not cry
> 
> I'm just staring at the end  
>  of your worries, you worried till the end  
>  I'm a burden, no I'm not, maybe I am  
>  I don't deserve this  
>  Why did you have to go?  
>  You could've left me so many times  
>  how did you fall into this coffin so slowly?  
>  Now your body is descending below me  
>  I'm bargaining, I'm starving for acceptance  
>  I already had depression you piece of shit  
>  Why did it have to be this way?

It was the normal, dysfunctional morning for the Smith household. At the dining room table, Summer was texting her best friend. She had finished her breakfast few minutes ago. Morty, her younger brother, sat right next to her. He was eating as much as he could as quickly as he could. When his plate was clean, he rose to his feet. 

"C'mon Summer! We're gonna be late!" Morty warned as he took his plate to the kitchen. Their grandfather rolled his eyes.

"Jesus, Morty, you're gonna be fine," Rick argued. He was eating little to nothing, just like he always did. "It's not like school is important anyways."

Right next to Rick sat his son in law, Jerry, who was not impressed by Rick's comment.

"Yeah, Morty...I guess school isn't important...if you wanna be unemployed and leech off your mother for the rest of your pathetic life...or your daughter, if you wish to follow in your grandfather's footsteps." 

"Dad, are you firing a dumb insult at Rick or yourself? You're also unemployed," Morty sharply shot back. 

"Obviously it's a insult towards Rick! Why would I insult myself?"

"I don't know, because everything you do is a insult towards yourself?" Rick interjected. 

"That's not my point!"

"Your point means nothing if it's hypocritical."

"Plus, you hardly have a point in the first place. The importance of school varies on the person. Not everybody who doesn't go to school is unemployed, dad," Summer stated, still not looking up from her phone. Jerry narrowed his eyes.

"You guys suck." 

"Your argument sucks. Now can someone please drive me to school?" Morty begged. 

"Maybe, if you give me a goddamn minute," Beth interjected. She sat down at the dining room table with the rest of the family after cooking her breakfast last. Morty looked to his grandfather. 

"Ri--"

"Nope. I'm allergic to bullshit. Can't be within twenty yards of it," Rick cut him off, Rick gave Morty the same answer every time Morty asked for a ride to school. 

"Why don't you take them, Jerry? Not like you have anything else to do," Beth suggested. 

"Hey! I have a job interview today!"

"No you don't," everyone at the table spoke at the same time. 

"Jerry, just take the kids to school," Beth ordered. She turned her head towards Rick. "By the way, dad, I got your new pills. I left them on the counter."

"Oh hell yeah." Rick escorted his plate into the kitchen. Ever since Rick had moved into Beth's house he had been hovering over the desk in her garage. He'd been suffering from chronic back pain. All of the family was reluctant to let Rick have medication, as all of them well aware of his addictive behavior. But he was already taking so much Advil--and he was still in pain. So Rick was prescribed something stronger. 

Once he finished washing his plate (a tradition he held, he hated seeing dirty dishes), he looked around for the medication. It wasn't long before he found the little orange bottle. He grabbed it and placed it in his lab coat pocket.

"Rick never drives them to school!" Jerry's whining continued.

"Yeah, you're right. I only drive my grandchildren to different planets and solar systems all over the galaxy. And when I'm not taking them there, I'm taking them to different dimensions and take them on adventures they'll never forget. Eat a fucking dick," Rick spat. When Rick walked back into the dining room, Jerry stood and got in his face.

"I've had it with you!" Jerry pointed at Rick's chest and raised his voice. "You don't get to speak to me like that!"

"Everyone talks to you like that. Sit down," Beth snapped.

"Why do you never defend me?!"

"Because I never agree with you."

"Guys, I'm happy to shit on my dad anytime but can we do it later?! I need to get to school! I shouldn't have to beg this hard!" Morty got louder. Summer sighed.

"Dad, give me the keys. I'll take Morty to school," Summer volunteered. Morty looked at her with suspicion.

"Are you gonna make a stop at Starbucks? Because if so I'd rather go with dad."

"See! At least Morty wants me around!" Jerry interjected.

"Shut up, dad, that was a diss towards you both of you."

Jerry nodded and sat back down. 

"I mean, yeah, but I'll also stop at the grocery store and let you get whatever you want," Summer offered with a small smile.

"You are the best fucking bitch I've ever known. I'll be in the car!" Morty took off. Beth folded her arms and looked to Summer.

"Summer, that's irresponsible spending."

"No it's not." Summer stood. She set her plate on the kitchen counter (which immensely annoyed Rick). "Every time we do this he buys a coke and mentos. You could make Morty Poseidon and he'd spend all of his time playing with seashells." She grabbed her backpack. "I'll see you guys later."

"Drive safe!" Jerry called after her.

"Drive smart," Rick corrected. They continued to bicker among themselves once more after Summer went into garage. Their bickering didn't last much longer. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Jerry frowned and walked to the door. When he opened it, a Courier Flap barged in.

"Delivery for Rick," the flap announced.

"Goddammit, please not another wedding." Rick complained. Jerry, having been kidnapped by a Courier Flap once before, darted out of the room without a word. Rick let out a heavy exhale. "Fine. What is it?" he reached into the Flap and pulled out a paper.

Rick's eyes went wide while he read the paper.

"What is it, dad?" In bold, the paper read:

JUNE HEBRON : 5/12/77 - 9/3/18

FUNERAL AT RUNA CHURCH 9/12/18 , 12:00 - 3:00

The paper was decorated with photos of one woman. Beth assumed that this was 'June', but she had no idea who June was or what was going on. 

"Dad, who's June?" Beth questioned.

"It's name isn't June. It's Unity...Unity is dead."

Beth was even more confused.

"If her name is Unity why would they--"

''It's not a her or a him, don't gender this person, s-sweetie," he belched. "Unity's family must've arranged this. They never accepted it."

"Would you like to RSVP or send a gift?" the Flap asked. Rick nodded.

"RSVP." he sighed. "I don't care whatever plans you have that day, we're going."

"I think my doctor's appointment is that day. I'll cancel it. But seriously, who is this person?" Beth questioned. Rick was getting choked up.

"M-My ex." "Oh...I'm so sorry, dad--""It's fine, sweetie. E-Everything's gonna be fine. We can all go together, pay our respects, and wear our finest black jeans. We'll be okay. I'm gonna be okay." Beth genuinely believed him. She smiled. "Got it." Rick smiled back, knowing that he had fooled her. "Good."


	2. CLASSROOM CHATTER

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> background music : midas era , lord finesse
> 
> trigger warning(s) :  
> none :)
> 
> i hope you enjoy !
> 
> -

A week had gone by quickly. Before the family realized it, it was the day of the funeral. It was the day Rick hoped to never see. It was the day in which Summer would attend her second funeral, and Morty would attend his first. Nothing else felt normal or worthy of his attention. The black suit he had on wasn't helping; he still looked dorky and young, but less so than usual.

"Funerals are boring." Andrew, Morty's closest acquaintances, shrugged. "Why are you going?"

"Because Mom wants me to go. And I think it'll offend Rick if I don't go." Morty replied.

"I remember when my Mom told me that kids aren't supposed to go to funerals."

"But you went to one?"

"Yeah, it was hers. Dad made me go."

"Aw, man. I'm sorry, Andrew. I didn't know." Morty scratched the back of his neck.

"It's fine. She's playing pool with grandma up in heaven. I hope she's winning...Especially because my grandma was blind. Losing pool to a blind woman is probably pretty embarrassing. Even in Heaven."

"I thought you don't feel anything bad in heaven. I-I-I heard that once."

"Depends on who you ask. But anyways, how did Unity die?"

"Uh, alcohol poisoning..I think."

"That's sad. That's probably not a good way to go."

"I don't think there is a good way to go. B-But yeah, alcohol poisoning definitely isn't it."

"Yeah." Andrew looked to the paper on his desk. The two of them were supposed to be working on it, but neither of them felt like working.

"Morty!" Mr Goldenfold called and immediately captured Morty's attention. "Go up to the front office. Your parents are here."

Morty nodded and began to gather his things.

"Good luck, dude. Also, if there's a open casket, don't look in it." Andrew warned.

"I-I don't know what that is or what that means, but okay. I'll see ya tomorrow."

"See ya," Andrew replied as Morty got up and walked to the door. Meanwhile, Summer was also headed to the front office. Her day, however, had been very different than Morty's.

@ sweetsummer : dude i'm so not excited for this funeral. i hate funerals.

Summer pressed send. She was texting in class as usual.

@ sandybean : ur outfit is cute tho. at least u got that.

Summer smiled a little. Her good friend Sandra always made things feel a little better.

me : thanks dude.

@ jacksass : does anybody know the answer to number 12?

me : idk i thought you were the smart one

@ jacksass : ya and i thought you were the hot one. guess we were both wrong

Summer's smiled disappeared. Jack was also technically one of Summer's friends. Jack was popular with the rest of Summer's friends. And that was the only reason why Summer put up with him.

me : have fun getting number 12 wrong

Summer locked her phone. Her class was taking a test, and of course, she was already done. Summer's excellent school performance was one of her many secrets. 

"Summer," the teacher spoke. "Can you come here please?"

She stood and walked towards him.

"Yes?" she whispered with a polite smile. But he didn't smile back.

"Have you considered taking any honors classes? It's not too late for you to switch out of this class," he whispered back.

"Why would I switch out?"

"Summer, you got a 99% on this test. That's the lowest grade you've gotten in my class so far."

"We're only two weeks in."

"That does nothing but prove my point. You're not stuck in this class yet."

"...So?"

"You could be doing a lot more. Aren't you bored?"

"Nah. I'm just glad to get my GPA up."

"You already have a 4.0."

"Still--"

"Summer, I'm highly considering taking you out of my class."

"...uh, you can't do that though."

"I can if I went to the principal and proved to him that you're cheating."

Summer was shocked. Yet nobody else had noticed what he said.

"Yeah uh...you especially can't do that." she said, fumbling for a reply.

"I'll give you until next Wednesday. That gives you a week. I can't have you waste your ability on this class. Go learn about something that matters, Summer."

"Psychology does matter!" Summer started to raise her voice, but still kept her it at a whisper.

"Are you training to be a psychologist or a sociopath?" he asked, raising his eyebrows at her.

"No, and I don't think so--"

"Then it doesn't matter." The school phone started to ring. The teacher picked it up. After a moment or two, he hung up. "Your parents are here. Have a good day!" he spoke with a smile, waving his hand as if the conversation had never happened.

"Uh, you too I guess." Summer turned and walked back to her desk. She grabbed her belongings and sent a unnecessary goodbye to the group chat before leaving the room.


	3. OPEN BOTTLES AND OPEN CASKETS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> background music : bittersweet , baaskaT
> 
> HELLA BIG trigger warning :   
> \- transphobia   
> \- semi detailed description of a suicide attempt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i dedicate this chapter to anyone who has ever struggled with mental illness. specifically, anybody who has struggled with suicidal thoughts. if you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please get help. i myself have struggled with lots of mental illness and i can gladly say that getting help is the best thing i've ever done. take care of yourself y'all <3

"Great. W-What a--what a perfect setting for a funeral. We've got a--" Rick paused mid-sentence to belch. "dark sky, some light rain with a side of disgusting humidity. Love that for us."

They were getting close to the site of the funeral. Beth and Summer were wearing heavy makeup, the boys were wearing ties, and all of them were wearing black. They almost looked like a normal family.

The car pulled in to the church parking lot. Rick sighed in disappointment for what seemed to be the thousandth time.

"Jesus Christ. I-I'm confused about why this funeral is on Earth, but now I'm extra confused," Rick complained.

"What were you expecting?" Beth questioned, one of her eyebrows arched.

"I-I'm don't know. I don't know a lot about Unity's parents, b-but I'm pretty sure it said that its parents were atheists," Rick explained as the family got out of the car. Jerry began to adjust Morty's tie.

"Well, they could've changed faith, or they might not know where else to have the funeral. I don't know where else I would choose to hold it," Jerry suggested. Morty began to make choking sounds.

"Dad--too--tight." Morty managed to say as the fabric squeezed his neck.

"Oh--whoops." Jerry loosened the tie. "Sorry, I thought I was supposed to do this for dramatic effect."

Morty took a deep breath as the tie was bearable again.

"God--I get that but never do that again."

"Sorry." They all began to walk towards the building. Rick held the door open for all of them until Morty passed through the doorway. Rick stopped him before he entered.

"Wait Morty." Rick's order caused Morty to pause. "Your father gave you a fuckin' Donald Trump tie. If I have to pretend to care about you in front of these idiots, Morty, you better not remind me of that dumbass." Rick began to adjust the tie.

"Aw geez, Rick, that's a very polarizing comment."

"It's a character choice, Morty. Get--" Rick burped. "over it."

There was silence between the two of them. After another few moments, Rick patted Morty on the back, showing that he was finished. Morty walked away. When he looked down at the tie, he felt much better. It did look much sharper than the way it was before. Though Rick wasn't wearing a suit, he seemed to know how to make a tie look good.

When he looked around himself, he was surprised. There was a lot of people. But there were no aliens. There were many flowers, many tables filled with snacks and drinks, and several photos of one woman. But none of these photos looked like Unity. He saw a sign decorated with photos, but he still couldn't find Unity in any of them.

JUNE HEBRON :   
5/12/77 - 9/3/18

"Hey Rick, I thought this was Unity's funeral."

"It is Unity's funeral, dipshit. Unity wasn't born a hive mind, Morty. Before Unity was Unity, Unity was June."

"Aw geez. I guess that kinda takes away from the whole gender neutral thing."

"Morty don't listen to these bastards. Unity is a they and June was too. D-Don't be disrespectful, Morty. I'll kick your ass."

"Geez. Alright, Rick."

"Welcome, all of you! I'm so glad you're here." A woman walked over towards the family; speaking to all five of them but making eye contact with Beth. "I know you probably never met her, but June--"

"You probably never met it." Rick corrected.

"--would've wanted you here." After finishing her statement, she looked to Rick. "Please, we'd rather not refer to June as Unity. I'm her--"

"Its. Or their." Rick folded his arms.

"Mother..." The woman gave Rick a ugly glare. Rick only reciprocated.

"Becoming Unity was one of June's greatest accomplishments. It was Unity's proudest moment. Unity held becoming a God its life's work and--"

"Grandpa Rick, did it mind being called June?" Summer questioned, clearly also disregarding the mother's wishes.

"Yes, it did. Call it Unity, not June. Only I was allowed to call it June when we were having a argument and a 'come to Jesus' moment was needed."

"My daughter drank herself to death. Please, either respect us or leave."

"Respect what your kid would've wanted. And not only would've Unity probably not wanted me here, but it wouldn't have wanted its biggest achievements to be ignored."

"U-Uh--" Beth was unsure of what to say. The mother exhaled heavily and rolled her eyes.

"It's okay, Beth. You and I can talk later. Please, enjoy yourselves." She turned to Rick to give him one last death stare. "My conservative, religious daughter would've wanted you all to have a good time. Even if I hope you don't." the mother walked away.

Once she was out of earshot, Beth turned to Rick.

"What the hell dad?"

"Beth, don't sacrifice respect for the dead in exchange for comfort of the living. Unity and June went by they, them, and it. If I hear you call it June or imply that it was a woman, you're grounded," Rick spat before walking away; separating himself from them. The rest of the Smith family didn't say a word for a few moments until Jerry couldn't take it anymore.

"You just got told," he laughed.

"Yeah, and you wonder why I never defend you." Beth stormed off; going in the opposite direction as Rick. Jerry followed her. That left Summer and Morty to team up and explore the funeral grounds together.

"I've never seen Grandpa Rick discipline like that," Summer said, enjoying the gossip.

"Yeah, me neither. I've seen Rick do worse, but I've never seen him talk to mom like that."

As the two explored the church, both of them eavesdropped on conversations going on around them. Oddly enough, the vast majority of these conversations were just as hostile as the conversation they had had only a few minutes before. They both picked up that Rick wasn't alone in being bitter about the way the Hebron family portrayed Unity's gender.

It seemed that even if many people here didn't know about June being Unity, they all demonstrated some kind of anxiety towards addressing June's gender...everybody but June's family and the some of older people who were attending. Since Rick was in his seventies and was the most supportive of Unity's gender, however, the two kids barely held age as an excuse.

After they had spent forty five minutes alone together, a man made an announcement over a microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen. If you will follow me, I would like to gather you all to the room where the casket will be opened. During this time, you'll be able to say your goodbyes. This way, please." The man began to lead a large group of people down the hallway. People all around Summer and Morty followed.

"Is that what it means to have a open casket? A-A-Are they gonna let us look at the body?" Morty looked to Summer.

"Uh yeah. What did you think it meant?"

"Oh geez...God, that's creepy. We don't have to go in there, right?"

"No. I don't see why we would have to."

"C'mon kids, we have to blend in." Jerry grabbed the two of them and began to push them towards the path.

"I-I-I don't wanna go! I don't wanna see Unity's dead body, please," Morty begged as he began to panic.

"Your mother wants you to go, and apparently we listen to your mother now."

"You don't have to actually look at the body, Morty. Relax. You're gonna be okay." Despite her best efforts, Summer's attempt didn't help in the slightest.

"W-Why does mom want us to go in there?"

"Well, as badass as Rick's comments were, your mother is trying her best to fit in. This includes fitting in."

"How does looking at a dead body help us fit in? H-H-How is that respectful in any shape or form?!" Morty almost yelled, drawing the attention of a few onlookers.

"Morty, keep your voice down! Seriously, you're gonna be fine. Just don't look at it. Besides, haven't you seen a dead body before?" Summer asked.

"D-Definitely. I've seen many dead bodies, but I-I've never seen a dead body in a coffin."

"Morty, Snow White was your favorite movie until you were twelve."

"I mean in person, you dipshit! I-I-I don't know what to expect!"

Suddenly, Beth and Rick joined them.

"I don't wanna do this, Beth. I--" Rick belched. "I don't think I can."

"I thought you had the control here," Jerry said, smirking.

"I do. I can leave if I-I want...I'm just indecisive, Jerry. Real dads get indecisive too."

"Are you suggesting I'm not a dad--"

"Shut up, Jerry," Beth said. The pastor and the crowd were nearing two white, open doors. They all assumed these were the doors that the open casket sat behind.

"R-Rick, why don't you and I stay behind?" Morty proposed.

"I would if I could." Rick said, shaking his head.

"W-Why--What do you mean?"

"I have to do this, Morty,"

"Dad, if it bothers you so much, you really don't have to." Beth said.

"Nah, it's fine. I might as well pretend to respect the family."

"Why do I have to go if he doesn't have to go?!" Morty raised his voice.

"Morty, calm down!" Beth raised her voice over his.

Morty knew that his fate was sealed.

Almost all of the people began to pass through the two doors. Morty felt a bead of sweat run down his temple. The anticipation was what scared him the most. Summer was slightly nervous, but it was all on Morty's behalf. She was always scared of him getting traumatized. Beth just wanted both of them to get it together and act normal.

Rick rued the feelings that rested in his chest. Guilt, grief, and pure remorse swirled within his heart. This was why he hated funerals. He didn't want to see June's body, but he knew he'd regret it if he didn't go see it. Deep down, he thought he deserved to see it. He thought he deserved to see June's body because he knew it was going to hurt.

Jerry was just bored and hungry.

Every wall was white in the casket room, and the carpeted floor was a ugly shade of brown. There wasn't a window to be seen anywhere in the now overcrowded space. People kept piling in, but all Morty could smell was a stench of mixed candles and Febreeze. Great, he thought, the body stinks.

When they turned the corner, they found the coffin. Summer saw it first. She immediately grabbed Morty and pushed him back.  
"Don't come any closer. You'll see it," she warned. Morty let out a sigh of relief.   
"Thank God. I was terrified."

Rick didn't have the same relief Morty had. He reluctantly turned the corner, and he felt his heart drop. Though it wasn't one of the bodies of Unity he had personally encountered, he knew that this was it. It made everything all too real. Maybe there had been just a little part of him that hoped there was a mistake. Now that he was just thirty feet away from the June Hebron's--Unity's--dead body, every hope was dead and damned.

When Beth saw the body, she quietly gasped and held onto Jerry. Jerry, however, seemed to have a lack of concern.

"That's a lovely casket. How much do you think it costs?" Jerry whispered to her.

"Jerry!" Beth scolded. After slapping Jerry's hand, Beth turned to Summer. "Summer, sweetie, are you okay?"

"Yeah," Summer nodded, staring. "May their soul rest in peace." She sighed and stared. She felt depressed staring at the body. She never dealt with death well. Summer's attention switched to Rick as she watched him gently push past the crowd. Tears started to swell up in his eyes as once he stood right in front of the casket. He had wanted anything but this moment. He forced himself to lean down towards her.

"You'll always be mine and nobody else's. See ya later. I love you." Rick kissed her forehead. Everyone in the Smith family except for Morty watched him do this, but only Summer saw him whisper something to her. Nobody but Rick heard what had been uttered.

Then, Rick quickly turned around and walked out of the room. His family tried to interject and talk to him, but he didn't notice them. Morty was puzzled. He turned his gaze to Summer.

"Is it that bad?"

"No. Maybe looking at Unity's dead body made him need to go take a shit." Summer joked, trying to distracted herself from the melancholy coffin.

Morty's jaw dropped.

"Summer, that's fucked up!" He tried his best to get the point across while whispering. Summer just continued to hold in laughter.

Meanwhile, Rick knew he was having a breakdown. That itself made him even more anxious. He entered the bathroom and swiftly locked himself in the handicapped stall. He dropped to the ground and rested his back on the wall. His hands covered his face. His mind was racing with memories and possibilities and flashes of the body. His lips were still cold from the kiss. He cursed under his breath and began to tap his foot against the ground. He never handled loss well. But it hadn't been this bad in a very long time...since Diane died.

After a minute or two of being sad and remorseful, he felt enraged. His palms pushed against his forehead. He couldn't stop thinking. There was a blend of hatred towards the family and himself. Most of his pain was just pure, excruciating grief. He closed his eyes for multiple seconds.

His eyes shot open as he felt intense pain in his back. He groaned. Rick reached into his pocket and grabbed his medication. He struggled with the cap for several minutes.

"C'mon, dammit...don't discriminate you piece of shit. I'm autistic, suicidal, and I have back pain too. Open the fuck up." Another minute later, he got the bottle to open. He took one pill and popped it into his mouth. He swallowed. He was so used to swallowing pills at this age that he didn't need water anymore. It was then a new thought occurred to him, and he did not hesitate. He lifted the bottle in the air, as if he were giving a toast.

"To Unity." Rick put the bottle to his lips and swallowed all of the pills he could. When those went down, he swallowed more. He gulped down the small capsules until there wasn't a single one left.

Then, he smiled.

"See you soon, Unity."


	4. NOT FINE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> background music : journey , LRKR
> 
> trigger warnings :   
> \- kinda intense argument ?? buckle up y'all rick is about to get Called Out
> 
> i hope you enjoy !

Just a few hours later, all of the Smiths were in the hospital. Five of them were stuck in a cold, small, and lonely waiting room. They were trying their best to pull it together.

"Thank God I found him," Jerry laughed, still in shock. "I-I-I mean...I'll never get that image out of my head...b-but at least he might survive." he gripped the arm rests of the chair he sat in. The chairs were cheap and uncomfortable; of which definitely added to the family's irritability. Especially because they had been there for almost a hour already.

"He'll be okay," Beth reassured. "He's always okay. Everything's fine."

"Mom, my grandfather tried to commit suicide. Specifically, he tried to commit suicide in a church bathroom during a funeral. Even if he is alive, he's not okay and nothing about this is okay."

"What if the open casket drove him over the edge?" Morty asked. "M-Maybe he wanted to be with her--"

"It," Summer corrected. "We need to just stop talking about it. We're freaking ourselves out too much."

"What the fuck do you want me to do, Summer?"

"Morty!" Beth scolded.

"Oh yeah?! What do you want me to do?!" Morty made eye contact with Beth. "The man that always told me that nothing matters just killed himself! How do you think that makes me feel?!"

"Morty, that's selfish," Jerry snapped.

"How do you feel huh!? You always hated Rick!"

"Rick always hated me!"

"And you just found him unconscious, with a fuckton of pills in his stomach! How do you feel about that, huh?!"

"It's not about how I feel!"

"Well--just--fuck off!"

Morty stood and walked away, his hands bulging into fists and eyes swelling with tears. Summer followed him.

"Morty?" Summer asked.

"WHAT?!" he yelled as he turned to her. Instead of yelling back, Summer held out her arms.

"C'mere," she said. Morty burst into tears instantly. He walked back to her and hugged her, allowing Summer to put her chin on his head and hug him back. She was somewhat uncomfortable. She had no idea what to say and she wasn't sure if this was the right thing to do. But she knew she had to try.

"Ma'am, the patient would like to speak with you." a nurse said to Beth. Beth stood up and turned towards the woman.

"Is he okay?"

"He's conscious. He's in a lot of pain. But we can only allow one visitor for now. Any other family member can be the one to go in, but I'd recommend you come in and talk to him first. You're the most immediate family member to him."

"How long will it be until we can all talk to him?"

"We're not sure. Probably a day or two."

Beth looked to the family for approval. She could see that all of them agreed with the decision. Beth turned back to the nurse.

"Okay, I'll go."

Beth followed the nurse into Rick's room. Once she saw her father, she began to tear up.

"Dad?"

Rick was groaned. The overdose caused many symptoms of pain he wasn't expecting. For Rick, everything in the room felt foggy. He knew where he was and what was happening, but paying attention was difficult and exhausting. His chest felt tight and his back felt tense. He had thrown up multiple times--both voluntarily and involuntarily. This included Jerry's panicked, harsh attempt upon finding Rick. All of the harsh things jammed down his throat and the acid from his stomach made his throat burn. Just knowing that Jerry's fingers had been shoved down his throat made Rick irritated.

"Hey sweetie."

"Oh God...Dad...why?" She walked towards him.

"I-I don't wanna talk about it, Beth."

"We highly recommend he attends a mental facility. Personally, I would recommend Linda Center. It wouldn't be covered by health insurance, but it has a very high success rate." the nurse suggested. Rick rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, uh...no. We don't need your suggestions, lady."

"We'll do whatever we need to." Beth countered. Rick looked to her and raised a part of his eyebrow.

"Beth, sweetie I--" Rick burped, sending the taste of vomit back into his mouth, "know this probably scared the hell out of you. But I promise you, I'm fine. We're always fine. We can just go home and pretend like things never happened. W-W-Wouldn't that be nice sweetie?"

Under any other circumstance, Beth would've folded and complied with Rick's delicately worded demands. Beth always assumed that her father was right without the slightest of hesitation or question. She even went as far as to ask herself what her father would do when put in a undesirable situation. Every now and then Rick would do something too questionable. And when he did, she'd give him a slap on the wrist. But this wasn't just something questionable. This made her ask herself: what would her mother do? She knew what her mother would do. And just as her mother would, she allowed her sadness turn to rage.

"No. You're going to go to this facility and you're going to get help." Beth folded her arms. "You're a raging alcoholic, you abuse my children, you partially abuse Jerry and I, and you tried to kill yourself in a church bathroom during a funeral. Morty and Summer have been crying for hours—"

"Oh boo-fucking-hoo. They're fine. Everything's fine--"

"You're a risk to yourself and everyone around you."

"I mean, I'm a risk to myself either way. I might as well be a risk to myself where I can get comfortable."

"Oh yeah? Too bad. If you were comfortable enough to try to end your life in a bathroom, you can get comfortable in a fucking mental facility."

"Mrs. Smith--"

"Stay out of this, random nurse," Beth snapped. "You're going and that's final."

"W-W-What do you mean that's final?! I'm your father!" Rick started to raise his voice, furthering the pain in his throat.

"Yeah--you are my father. You're a mentally unstable alcoholic who needs help. I don't care what you say. I'm not letting you die and I am not letting you put my family through this ever again."

"How do you think this helps me?! I'm the one with the fucking problem! W-W-Why don't you ask me how I feel?! Why don't I get a choice?!" Rick started to raise his voice.

"BECAUSE THE LAST TIME I ASKED YOU ABOUT HOW YOU FELT YOU ASKED ME FOR STRONGER MEDICATION FOR YOUR BACK PAIN! I GAVE IT TO YOU, AND YOU TRIED TO USE IT TO FUCKING KILL YOURSELF! I KNOW THAT YOU'RE SCARED AND WANT TO STAY IN DENIAL; BUT GODDAMMIT YOU DON'T GET A CHOICE ANYMORE--"

"MRS SMITH! I HAVE TO ASK YOU TO STOP!" the nurse yelled over her screams. Tears rolled down Beth's cheeks. Her whole body was shaking with rage. Rick was silent.

There was a knock on the door. Beth turned her head to see Jerry standing in front of the doorway, appearing anxious. Beth opened the door.

"Hey--uh--is everything okay in here?"

"Does it look okay?" Beth and Rick responded in unison. Jerry's anxiety increased.

"Y-Yeah okay, uh, I-I just wanted to check--"

"Jerry take the kids home. I'll get a Uber later. I'll be home soon."

"Tell Morty to not touch my food while I'm gone!" Rick interjected.

"Just go please. I love you and I'll see you guys soon." Beth kissed his cheek.

"O-Okay. I love you too..." Jerry closed the door. He turned to Summer and Morty. "Well, kids, he's alive...And he told me to tell you to not touch his food while he's gone, Morty."

"W-W-What is that supposed to mean?" Morty frowned.

"I'm not quite sure. C'mon kids, we gotta go home." Jerry started walking. The kids followed him immediately and continued to question him.

"What about Mom?"

"She said she'll get a Uber home soon. You guys probably have homework to do and I have Taco Bell to order. We'll be okay, kids."

Summer nodded and Morty's eyes drifted to the ground. Both of the kids were exhausted and ready to go home--but it felt wrong to leave Beth and Rick. Yet they knew they had no choice.

At least Rick hadn't left them.


End file.
